Women's Basketball: My first impression

Greetings from McDonough Arena on the campus of Georgetown University.

This is my first venture to this place and let me first say that this is not the Camden Yards of college basketball. To call it an arena is an insult to other arenas. It's a gymnasium, and a high school one at that. In fact, I've seen bigger high school gyms. The music is coming in loud and clear, every BEAT I might add.

Apparently, Georgetown doesn't seem to be about gender equity when it comes to the school's basketball programs. Even though the tip-off for the women's game was 7:30, men's team practice didn't end until after 6:30. How considerate of men's coach John Thompson to FINALLY surrender the court.

Believe it or not, that is actually earlier than it used to be. Kara Wolters, half of the UConn's broadcast team on WTIC, said that when she played, there was an occassion when the women's didn't get on the court until 30 minutes before the game. Former GT coach John Thompson, the father, would keep his team on the floor that long. Like father, like son.

FYI, it's 35 minute until tip off and by my estimation there is less than 200 folks in the bleachers. A Georgetown official just told me this capacity is 2,400.

Seeing how I offered some critical commentary about the setup at Georgetown, I feel the need to mention that the staff was quite accommodating to the contingent of media from Connecticut.
Got to give props to three people that were helpful: Ben Shove, Associate Sports Information Director for the women's basketball team; Jim Donatelli, Assistant SID/Publications Coordinator; Drew Wiseman, Sports Information Assistant.
Incidentally, Ben is from Waterbury and Jim has relatives in Farmington.
I should have asked them for directions from my hotel to Washington National/Reagan Airport because I got lost driving there this morning and wound up going on an unscheduled sight-seeing tour of our nation's capitol. What should have taken no more than 15 minutes took 45, but I still managed to make my flight with time to spare. The streets of Washington are not easy to navigate. Too many bends and rotaries, too many forks in the road (I always take the wrong one). I find driving in Manhattan to be easier because it's a grid. It probably helps that I'm more familar with NYC than DC. Or it might just be me because I'm terrible with directions. The next game is Dec. 18 in Charlottesville, Virginia. This time, I'm renting a vehicle with a navigational system.

McDonough is a pretty great place to watch the Husky women. I went to a couple of games there when I was in DC in the mid-90's, and for a buck or two I was able to sit in the second row, right at midcourt.

I would have sat in the front row, but some girl had her coat spread across the entire front row until halftime. Then, guess which CT senator waltzed in, stinking of Chivas and Marlboros, whose entourage took up the front row? Here's a hint: rhymes with "Clod."